It's in the Evidence
by Mystikwriter
Summary: Takes place after "Rise From the Ashes".  Phoenix is alarmed about Miles mentioning his desire to stop being a prosecutor and is determined to convince his friend otherwise.


_It's in the Evidence_

* * *

"What are you doing here?"

Phoenix met Miles's curt question with an awkward smile, hand twitching as he curbed the impulse to rub the back of his head. He pushed away from the wall he'd been leaning against, shoving his hands into his pockets as he scrambled for a couple extra seconds to think.

"I wanted to thank you."

Long practice let Phoenix endure Mile's scathing glare without getting singed in the process. "Well you thanked me, so feel free to leave."

Phoenix rolled his eyes at Mile's back as he swept into his office and didn't hesitate to follow. "I also wanted to make sure you weren't serious about resigning."

"What's the matter, Wright? Worried about what will happen if I'm not there to rescue you?" Miles dropped down into his chair behind the desk, and rather than sit with the stiff posture Phoenix was familiar with, the other man slumped forward, hands flat on the desk's surface.

"If I say I am will you stay?" Phoenix stepped closer to the desk, taking in Miles's pale face and the dark circles around his eyes. Lana hadn't been the only one to take a beating during the trial.

He was rewarded with a slight smile before it fell away, leaving Miles looking even more exhausted. "I think it would be for the best if I did quit."

Phoenix swallowed a small burst of panic, cocking his head to the side. "Why?"

"As I already mentioned," Miles said stiffly. "I don't think I'm cut out for this job anymore. You heard what Chief Gant said about me. We're the same."

"You're going to take the word of a murderer and a liar?" Phoenix scoffed. "Clearly he was messing with you."

"Maybe," Miles conceded. "But that doesn't change what I believe."

"Well it should," Phoenix snapped, experiencing the first flash of temper. "You are an excellent prosecutor, Edgeworth. You may not trust yourself, but I trust you."

Miles flushed, red blooming across his cheeks and down his neck. He began to fidget, shuffling papers and shifting in his seat. "What do you want, Wright?" Miles eventually asked, gaze lowered. "Why does this matter to you so much?"

Phoenix opened his mouth, then closed it, unable to find the words that would explain the tangled mass of emotions that had forced him to seek Miles out. How could he explain that his worry stemmed from something far stronger than mere affection? That it might never have been that simple.

"You can't change your past mistakes, Edgeworth, but you can learn to get past them. I don't want you to give up." Phoenix hesitated before taking a risk, deciding that he didn't have much to lose at this point. "Plus, I'd miss you."

Miles stared at him, eyes wide and mouth parted. Feeling his cheeks heat, Phoenix cleared his throat and looked away, his gaze finding the chess set with its strange arrangement of pieces. A 'spikey-haired' pawn surrounded by several knights with 'sharp edges' was how Emma had described it. Huh, with those spikes one could almost assume that the pawn was supposed to be him.

He kept staring at the chess set when he heard Miles's chair squeak, the soft footfalls that ended beside him. Miles was standing close enough that Phoenix could feel his heat, tantalizing warmth that seeped through his clothes.

"I would miss you too." The words were soft, barely a whisper, and beneath them Phoenix could hear the question that Miles couldn't bring him self to ask, the doubt that made his breath come light and fast.

Phoenix turned just a little, could see the small flush that had remained on Miles's cheeks, the nervous light in sharp grey eyes. Sensing that they were standing on the precipice of a change long overdue, Phoenix slowly shifted to face him, almost too nervous to blink, afraid that if he did he'd find this moment was all in his imagination, that Miles was still sitting behind his desk, having dismissed Phoenix's words to finish his endless paperwork.

Miles's breathing picked up, and Phoenix could see his hands were trembling. Still moving slowly, Phoenix reached up, his hand seeming to travel forever before the tips of his fingers encountered the line of Miles's jaw, the skin warm and smooth. Miles sucked in a breath at the first light touch, but he didn't move, eyes remaining wide, frozen as he waited for Phoenix to take the last step.

Phoenix didn't smile, almost couldn't breathe around his nervous joy. He eased closer, finger tips still resting against Miles's jaw, felt the heat between them gather as the distance between them shrunk. Leaning in, he saw Miles eyes flutter shut before their lips touched.

The kiss stayed light, a mere press of lips, and that alone made Phoenix's heart lurch in his chest, every beat slow and thick as he tried to process that this was actually happening. He felt Miles stiffen, was worried that the other man would push him away. Phoenix almost pulled back to give Miles space, but before he could his hand was caught, 'don't' whispered against his lips.

Growing bolder, Phoenix let his fingers follow the line of Miles's jaw, brushing down the side of his neck before encountering the soft hairline. Pressing closer, Phoenix curled his fingers around the back of Miles's neck, urged him closer as their kiss gained pressure, their lips sliding together. The friction was glorious and Phoenix reined in the urge to press, contenting himself with the warm skin beneath his hand and the warm lips against his own.

Miles tasted like sunshine, the first step out of a dark building when the lingering chill from the conditioned air burned away in a wave of heat. It soaked through his clothes, pressed against his skin as it lured him closer. Kissing Miles made him realize how cold he'd always been, and Phoenix shuffled closer until they were pressed together from shoulder to hip.

When Miles broke away with a gasp Phoenix let him, their fingers still tangled together. Miles' fingers were smooth, and where they had started out cool now they were heated, gripping Phoenix's fingers tight before relaxing, only to tighten once more.

"Is this your way of convincing me to stay?" Miles asked. The grey of his eyes was a thin band around fully dilated pupils, his lips swollen and glistening with saliva. His chest rose and fell as he struggled to catch his breath, and Phoenix honestly couldn't remember seeing anyone look more beautiful.

Phoenix's lips twitched, and it was a struggle to keep the smile from spreading any further. "I've offered my evidence, Prosecutor. I think it's time we look for a verdict."

Miles rolled his eyes, but was helpless to disguise the answering smile that tugged at his mouth. "I hope you're not suggesting we take this up in front of the judge, Phoenix."

The sound of his name on Miles' lips took his breath away. Phoenix swallowed, and his fingers convulsed before he forced them to loosen. "We'll let you play judge this time, Miles."

It was Miles turn to shiver, and his lips pressed into a thin line, eyes dark with nerves. "I think….you've managed to win yet another case, Phoenix."

"Are you surprised?" The world was spinning, and Phoenix was smiling hard enough to make his cheeks ache. He felt like he would fly into the air at any minute, only he wouldn't since doing so would mean letting go of Miles.

"Not really." This time it was Miles who leaned forward, Miles' hands to cup his cheeks and coax his mouth open with hesitant swipes of his tongue. Phoenix was helpless to do anything but respond, lips parting as his hands settled on thin hips.

Phoenix's heart ached as he clutched Miles close, light headed from an impossible dream proving all too real. He knew they weren't out of the woods yet, that Miles would continue to harbor the doubt that he wasn't meant to be a prosecutor. Phoenix would do whatever it took to prove him wrong.

In the end, he would convince Miles that he didn't have to be alone, in or out of court.

* * *

A/N: So I was playing Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and just couldn't resist. They weren't even being subtle about the 'moments' between Miles and Phoenix. I'm basically convinced that they did that just to make sure the game sold, ensuring that hordes of yaoi fangirls would come running at the first hint of slash...


End file.
